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Why is life so hard for some people and not so hard for others?

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Thank you for your question. Logically, because everybody lives a different life from everyone else, it follows that some people are bound to have “harder” lives than others. The way we all live our lives is not the way that God originally intended. The first few chapters of the Bible tell us that God created the world and everything that is in it, and God declared all of His work to be good (Genesis 1:31).

God made the first people in His own image, and they were blessed by God and given dominion over every living thing. (Genesis 1:27-31) This was in the Garden of Eden, a paradise on earth where every tree was pleasant to the sight and good for food, and man lived in fellowship and harmony with God. The only exception was the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; the only rule that Man was given was not to eat the fruit of this tree, as it would surely lead to death.

People can choose to trust and obey the loving God who created them, or they can choose to ignore Him and rely on their own resources to live their lives in any way they choose. Unfortunately for all of us in the world today, the first people on earth chose the latter, and as a result we all have to suffer a much harder life than God had originally intended. Adam and Eve chose not to obey God, and instead fell for the lies of satan. They ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and this led to Man’s fall from grace and innocence, and banishment from the Garden of Eden. They traded the blessings and the truth of God for the curse of sin and lies of satan and the world.

Genesis 3 tells us all about the consequences of these actions, and how all mankind will have to lead a harder life because of it. Note that at the end however God still provides clothes for them, to warm and protect them and to cover their shame; God still loves all of his creation to this day.

A few things that people cannot choose are where they are born, the circumstances they are born into, and their physical and mental gifts and abilities. These things are not decided by ourselves, but are God-given. Someone who is born and orphaned into a time of famine or war can obviously be considered to have a much harder start to life than someone born to wealthy, popular and successful parents. However, the choices that each individual makes will often determine whether they see themselves as having a hard life or not. The person with the rich parents may make the wrong choices that lead to him becoming an alcoholic or a drug addict for example, whilst the orphaned war refugee may end up living a fulfilling and happy life.

Life does not come with many certainties, but one thing that is certain is that we will all die one day. Death will remove from us all worldly and materialistic things. Death is the great thief that robs us all of many things that we have worked and strived for. Usually we do not know when death is going to claim us.

Someone born blind may end up seeing far more than someone with good eyesight. Someone born with a physical disability in their legs may still end up walking a straighter and better path through life than a gifted athlete who cheats his way to the top and gets caught. Things such as quality of life are subjective.

Most people if they are honest when asked if they would change something about themselves would do so if they were given the choice, but God has made each of us as we are for a reason. We are all made in His image to give Him glory, and someone who may have a very hard life can still do that. In knowing God, and in knowing the salvation that only Jesus Christ brings, anyone can and should be full of Joy and Peace and Love. This is not something people can do by their own efforts, it only comes through the process of becoming a Christian.

Consider the life of someone like Mother Theresa and her Sisters of Mercy, most would say they had a very hard life, yet most would have to agree that they would not have chosen any other life. They still enjoy an inner peace and joy that worldly minded people will never achieve. This is because they practically live out what Jesus described as the two greatest commandments: to Love God and to love your neighbour as yourself. (see Matthew 22:36-39)

If you consider a hard life to be one with stress, then consider the following:

Everyone can have a life that is free from anxiety. Everyone can look forward to an eternity of bliss in heaven, where there are no tears, no pain and no anxiety. The bible tells us this is available to all if they are prepared to sincerely confess and repent from the sin in their lives, and to pray to God through Jesus for his mercy and salvation.

If you put your trust in Jesus, your life will be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. If you have faith that He did what the bible says He did, that He came to earth and lived a perfect life, and then died on the cross to pay the full penalty for your sins, then you will have salvation assured for eternity. The Holy Spirit will dwell in you and help you to change from your old ways and to grow in grace. Your life will still be hard at times, but no matter what happens God will be with you to help you overcome anything and everything.

A hard life on earth is for a maximum of 120 years, but what is that compared to an eternity in Heaven? Salvation is a one-off event that happens in the life of anyone who repents of their sin and turns to Jesus for the salvation of their ever-lasting soul.

The ongoing process of change is called sanctification; it is a lifetime process, and hardship will still occur in people's lives, because we still live in a fallen, sin-filled world. Jesus calls his followers to “take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34) He also says to "come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

At first sight these may seem contradictory to each other, but they refer to the present and the future. Giving up our self-centred worldly lives now and following him completely will lead to a future life of joy forever. The promise of this permanent prize should help anyone see past the temporary woes of this hard worldly life now.

Here are some more Bible Verses for your further consideration:

Genesis 1:27-31

Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 22:36-39

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*All Scripture references are taken From The English Standard Version of the Holy Bible unless stated otherwise

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